It’s difficult for English readers today to fully grasp the impact that some of Jesus’ words had on His Jewish listeners. The Jews knew that God spoke the world into existence. When Jesus said “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away,” was He saying that He is more powerful than God?

Both John the Baptist and Jesus preached that people must repent in order to enter into heaven. But what exactly is repentance? Most people think it is a change in behavior. Actually, to repent means to change one’s thinking.

We have a tendency to pick and choose which commandments we will honor and which ones we will ignore. But Jesus was clear, those who accept His commandments and obey them are the ones who truly love Him.

We live in a culture that is all about tolerance and inclusiveness. This has even caused some Christians to turn their back on some of God’s Word, or at the very least, water it down so as not to offend others. But is tolerating sin for the sake of making others feel included truly a loving act?